A joint agreement by BAM Nuttall and BAM Construct has been signed with Polypipe to be sole supplier of drainage products to their infrastructure and building projects in the UK.
The move signals a closer co-operation in procurement between the different BAM companies, apparently triggered by last month’s promotion of Dan Billinge to head of procurement. The Polypipe deal is expected to be the first of several such arrangements.
BAM claims the agreement with Polypipe supports earlier and closer collaboration throughout the project life cycle. Economics of scale and a raft of benefits will reduce capital costs for clients and add sustainable value.
Using just one drainage supplier on a project means BAM can plug products into the design from day one. This component-led approach removes the need to alter drawings – or digital designs- further down the line. Reducing redesigns saves time and resolves clashes and interfaces before a project gets onto site. The theory is that as all components are compatible, the system’s quality and performance are assured.
James Lees, head of supply chain at BAM Nuttall said: “Ultimately this arrangement will not only take a lot of inefficiency out of the design, tender and construction stages, it will allow us to focus on what adds value for the customer on that particular project”. “Polypipe’s technical teams will be feeding into the design process which will help us look at a wider range of possible solutions, and take early decisions based on value not just capital cost”.
Polypipe Civils and Green Urbanisation became an approved supplier to BAM Nuttall approximately nine months ago, and the two organisations have been working on projects for Highways England. BAM Nuttall and Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation have been collaborating to create a library of BIM models for highway drainage. As well as streamlining the design and construction phases, this approach aims to bring efficiencies to the operation and maintenance of the roads.
James Haddon, accounts manager for Polypipe Civils & Green Urbanisation, who worked with James Lees and Daniel Billinge to set up the solus supply deal said: “This deal is exciting because we are moving from a transactional relationship to a collaborative one,